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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cap — a hat
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com